Turkic mythology refers to myths and legends told by the Turkic people. It features Tengrist and Shamanist strata of belief along with many other social and cultural constructs related to the nomadic and warrior way of life of Turkic and Mongol peoples in ancient times. Turkic mythology shares numerous ideas and practices with Mongol mythology. Turkic mythology has also influenced other local Asiatic and Eurasian mythologies. For example, in Tatar mythology elements of Finnic and Indo-European mythologies co-exist. Beings from Tatar mythology include Äbädä, Abakhan, Alara, Şüräle, Şekä, Pitsen, Tulpar, and Zilant.
The ancient Turks apparently practised all the then-current major religions in Inner Asia, such as Tibetan Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Judaism, and Manichaeism, before the majority's conversion to Islam through the mediation of Persian and Central Asian culture, as well as through the preaching of Sufi Muslim wandering ascetics and mystics (fakirs and dervishes). Often these other religions were assimilated and integrated through syncretism into their prevailing native mythological tradition, way of life, and worldview.JENS PETER LAUT Vielfalt türkischer Religionen p. 25 (German) Irk Bitig, a 10th-century manuscript found in Dunhuang, is one of the most important sources for the recovery and study of Turkic mythology and religion. The book is written in Old Turkic alphabet like the Orkhon inscriptions.
History The oldest recorded belief-system of the Turks is named Tengrism.Laut, Jens Peter. "Vielfalt türkischer Religionen." (1996) Spiritas. p. 25 It is attested by the oldest available sources known from the inscriptions of the Kül-Tegin-Stele, which also mentions the three potentials Sky (täŋri), Earth (Yer), and human (kişi), characteristical for these beliefs.Laut, Jens Peter. "Vielfalt türkischer Religionen." (1996). Spiritas p. 25 Tied to this belief is the concept of Kut and the Khan as evident in the title of Bilge Khan who is described as "the heavenly, from the sky complied noble (türk) Bilgä Khan". Especially the heavenly ruler, but also the common people are believed to be endowed with Kut. When it narrows (yuyka bol), which means it comes to an end, the person dies. It seems that besides Tengri, a number of other spirits or deities were also venerated, such Umay. It is not clear, how much of Tengrism developed in isolation, but influence from Chinese beliefs are clearly evident.Laut, Jens Peter. "Vielfalt türkischer Religionen." (1996) Spiritas. p. 26 Since the 8th century Turks increasingly adopted foreign (non-Central Asian) religious-systems prevalent across the Silk Road. Smaller Turkic groups, as for example in Sibirian, usually practise a form of shamanism i.e. ecstatic practises in connection to supernatural beings at disposal of social groups.
Buddhism became one of the major religions of the Turks at latest since the 8th century.Laut, Jens Peter. "Vielfalt türkischer Religionen." (1996) Spiritas. p. 28 Buddhist influence is still notable in modern Turkish phrases. the Turkish term "güneş tutulması" (solar eclipse) literally means "the sun is seized". The term goes back to a story from Samyutta Nikaya about a titan (asura) named Rāhu seizing the sun.Laut, Jens Peter. "Vielfalt türkischer Religionen." (1996) Spiritas.p. 30 After Turks converted to Islam, this story was no longer known but remained in the language of the Turks. The Northern Turkic languages, such as the Jakuts and Dolgans, speak of the "Death of the Sun" (kün ölüte) instead. Since they departed too early from Central Asia, Buddhist idioms have not influenced their language.Laut, Jens Peter. "Vielfalt türkischer Religionen." (1996) Spiritas. p. 30
During the Medieval Age, most Turk tribes became Muslims.Laut, Jens Peter. "Vielfalt türkischer Religionen." (1996) Spiritas. p. 31 The first were the Karahanides and the Seljuks, who converted in the 10th century. In the following century they conquered Persian and Anatolia, even though they lost Persia in the 12th century again. Since Islam had no clearly defined orthodox beliefs yet, Islam merged with prevailing beliefs of the Turks.Dechant, John. "Depictions of the Islamization of the Mongols in the" Manāqib al-ʿārifīn" and the Foundation of the Mawlawī Community." Mawlana Rumi Review 2 (2011): 135-164. The dervish Rumi, who became highly reverted in Turkish Islamic beliefs, composed in this period his masterpiece, the Masnavi, which he believed to be "sent down" from God and understood it as the proper explanation of the Quran (tafsīr). Šams al-Dīn Aḥmad Aflākī, integrated the invading Mongols and Turks into his hagiography and stated that the Turks stopped invading at the gates of Konya due to Rumi's devotion to God and they believed that assaulting him would cause the wrath of God upon them.
Islamic beliefs played a significant role in the conquests of the Ottoman Turks. According to Ottoman historiography, Osman Gazi met the Sufi Shaykh Edebali who revealed to him victory and the lineage of a Sultan.
In the modern Turkish Republic, some authors interpreted Islamic mythological history through the lens of Turkish nationalism. Ismail Hakki Izmirli formulated theses on the alleged Turk origin of Islam. He claimed that many prophets, such as Abraham and Muhammad were probably Turks and cited various lineages through the Old Testament to construct a Turkic ethnicity of the prophets. He further claimed that the Quran entails Turkic words.Laut, J. P. (2003). Zur Sicht des Islam in der Türkischen Republik bis zum Tode Atatürks. in "Von Zentralasien bis Anatolien Philologische und religionswissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf die türkische Welt Kleine Schriften von Jens Peter Laut Herausgegeben von Gökhan Shilfeler und Hans Nugteren Harrassowitz Verlag pp. 393-194
Mythical creatures Archura, an evil forest demon. Qarakorshaq, a hiding animal-like creature that can be scared away by light and noise.KALAFAT, Yaşar (1999), Doğu Anadoluda Eski Türk İnançlarının İzleri, Ankara: Atatürk Kültür Merkezi Yayını Tepegöz, a cyclops-like creature with only one eye on his forehead. Tulpar, a winged horse. Yelbeghen, a creature described as a seven-headed giant or dragon."Cilbegän/Җилбегән". Tatar Encyclopedia. Kazan: Tatarstan Republic Academy of Sciences Institution of the Tatar Encyclopaedia. 2002. Dev, a giant-like creature disseminated widely in Turkic countries. Peri, synonymous with jinn but more frequently used in Turkish supernatural tales.
Mythical locations Yalbuz (Bald Mountain), a mysterious and legendary mountain. Mount Qaf, a legendary mountain mentioned in Turkic tasawwuf.
Gods and spirits in Turkic mythology
Turko-Mongol mythology is essentially polytheistic but became more monotheistic during the imperial period among the ruling class, and was centered around the worship of Tengri, the omnipresent Sky God.Klyashtornyj, Sergei G. (2008). Spinei, V. and C. (ed.). Old Turkic Runic Texts and History of the Eurasian Steppe. Bucureşti/Brăila: Editura Academiei Române; Editura Istros a Muzeului Brăilei.Róna-Tas, A. (1987). W. Heissig; H.-J. Klimkeit (eds.). "Materialien zur alten Religion den Turken: Synkretismus in den Religionen zentralasiens" [Materials on the ancient religion of the Turks: syncretism in the religions of Central Asia]. Studies in Oriental Religions (in German). Wiesbaden. 13: 33–45 Deities are personified creative and ruling powers. Even if they are anthropomorphised, the qualities of the deities are always in the foreground.
İye are guardian spirits responsible for specific natural elements. They often lack personal traits since they are numerous. Although most entities can be identified as deities or İye, there are other entities such as genien (Çor) and demons (Abasi).
According to a common Turkic belief, the attitude of indefinite spirits is determined by their color: Good spirits appear white and evil spirits black.Zhanar, Abdibek, et al. "The Problems of the Mythological Personages in the Ancient Turkic Literature." Asian Social Science 11.7 (2015): 344.Zarcone, Thierry, and Angela Hobart, eds. Shamanism and Islam: Sufism, healing rituals and spirits in the Muslim world. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017. p. 317
Tengri Kök Tengri is the first of the primordial deities in the religion of the early Turkic people. After the Turks started to migrate and leave Central Asia and encounter monotheistic religions, Tengrism was modified from its pagan/polytheistic origins, with only two of the original gods remaining: Tengri, representing goodness and Uçmag (a place like heaven), while Erlik represents evil and hell.
The words Tengri and Sky were synonyms and is maybe personification of the universe.Bekebassova, A. N. "Archetypes of Kazakh and Japanese cultures." News of the national academy of sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Series of social and human sciences 6.328 (2019): 87-93.
Tengri's appearance is unknown. He rules the fates of all people and acts freely, but he is fair as he awards and punishes. The well-being of the people depends on his will. The oldest form of the name is recorded in Chinese annals from the 4th century BC, describing the beliefs of the Xiongnu. It takes the form /, which is hypothesized to be a Chinese transcription of Tengri.Jean-Paul Roux, Die alttürkische Mythologie, p. 255
Other deities Umay (The Turkic root originally meant 'placenta, afterbirth') is the goddess of fertility.Eason, Cassandra. Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols: A Handbook. Greenwood Press. 2008. p. 53. .
Erlik ( is a deity associated with the dead and the underworld. According to the Khakas, Erlik resides in a palace in the lowest region of the netherworld.Burnakov, V. A. "Erlik khan in the traditional worldview of the khakas." Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia 39.1 (2011): 107-114. Worship of Erlik is usually frowned upon,Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer Shamanism: Soviet Studies of Traditional Religion in Siberia and Central Asia: Soviet Studies of Traditional Religion in Siberia and Central Asia Routledge, 22. Juli 2016, ISBN 978-1-315-48724-3 S. 63 After conversion to Islam, Erlik becomes associated with the Şeytan.Moldagaliyev, Bauyrzhan Eskaliyevich, et al. "Synthesis of traditional and Islamic values in Kazakhstan." European Journal of Science and Theology 11.5 (2015): 217-229.
Symbols Horse
As a result of the Turks' nomadic lifestyle, the horse is also one of the main figures of Turkic mythology; Turks considered the horse an extension of the individual, particularly the male horse. This might have been the origin of the title "at-beyi" (horse-lord). As such, horses have been used in various Turkic rituals, including in funeral rites and burial practices. Turkology researcher Marat Kaldybayev has suggested that "the presence of a horse in funeral rites is one of the ethnocultural markers uniting Turkic cultures, starting from the ancient Turkic time and ending in the late Middle Ages."
Dragons
The dragon (Ejderha; Evren, also Ebren), also depicted as a snake. In Eastern Turkic myths, the dragon is a symbol of blessing and goodness.Duman, Harun. "Türk mitolojisinde ejderha." Uluslararası Beşeri Bilimler ve Eğitim Dergisi 5.11 (2019): 484.
Tree
The World Tree or Tree of Life is a central symbol in Turkic mythology, and may have its origin in Central Asia.Knutsen, R. (2011). Tengu: The Shamanic and Esoteric Origins of the Japanese Martial Arts. Niederlande: Brill. p. 45
The tree of life connects the upper world, middle world and underworld. It is also imagined as the "white creator lord" (yryn-al-tojon).Dixon-Kennedy, M. (1998). Encyclopedia of Russian & Slavic Myth and Legend. Vereinigtes Königreich: ABC-CLIO. p. 282.